Rockets
Rockets Blitz Mavericks Early, Roll 135-117 in Macao Preseason Opener
Houston broke this one open in the first half and cruised, beating Dallas 135-117 in a preseason game at Venetable Arena in Macao, China. The Rockets never trailed, built a 28-point lead, and got 67 points off their bench. It's only an exhibition — both teams are 0-0 — and Dallas answered two days later, beating Houston 132-115 in the rematch to even the preseason series.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 10 d ago01The story of the nightThe Game Got Away From Dallas in the Second QuarterHouston led 27-19 after one quarter, then outscored Dallas 38-26 in the second to take a 65-45 lead at the half.
Houston led 27-19 after one quarter, then outscored Dallas 38-26 in the second to take a 65-45 lead at the half. The Rockets stretched their biggest lead to 28 points and the Mavericks never led at any point in the game — lead changes: zero. Dallas chipped away in the second half, outscoring Houston 35-19 in the third and 37-36 in the fourth, but the first-half hole was too deep. Final score: Rockets 135, Mavericks 117.
02Eason and Sengun Powered the Rockets Off the Bench and the FloorTari Eason led all scorers with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, adding 9 rebounds in 23.9 minutes off the bench.
Tari Eason led all scorers with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, adding 9 rebounds in 23.9 minutes off the bench. Alperen Sengun nearly posted a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on 6-of-9 shooting. Fred VanVleet added 17 points and 7 assists, Reed Sheppard scored 16 off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting, and Kevin Durant chipped in 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. For Dallas, Cooper Flagg led the way with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 19 minutes, with Naji Marshall adding 16 and Max Christie 14.
03Houston's Bench and Paint Presence Were the DifferenceThe Rockets outscored Dallas's bench 67-55, with Eason, Sheppard, Bruce Thornton and Oscar Tshiebwe all contributing.
The Rockets outscored Dallas's bench 67-55, with Eason, Sheppard, Bruce Thornton and Oscar Tshiebwe all contributing. Houston also won the paint 54-50 and shot a far better percentage overall, 54.7% to 46.8%, despite Dallas launching 51 three-pointers to Houston's 36 — both teams made exactly 18. Dallas actually won the turnover battle in points, scoring 29 points off Houston's 21 turnovers compared to Houston's 27 off Dallas's 18, and the Mavericks had a slight edge in fast-break points, 24-22. None of it was enough to offset Houston's shooting efficiency and bench production.
04An Early Look, Not a Verdict, for Either TeamThis was a preseason game in Macao, China, so neither team's record moved — both sit at 0-0.
This was a preseason game in Macao, China, so neither team's record moved — both sit at 0-0. For Houston, Sengun's all-around line and the bench scoring 67 points stand out as early positives. For Dallas, Flagg's 19 points in just 19 minutes and Dwight Powell's 8 assists off the bench were bright spots in a lopsided loss. The two teams met again two days later, on 2026-10-11, and Dallas flipped the result, winning 132-115 to split the preseason series.
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